7 Digital Marketing trends for 2018: the strategies and technologies that will gain strength in the year

Enter year, year out, Digital Marketing is influenced by several emerging trends in innovation. Almost every day, we see new technologies and concepts emerge and add new ideas to the market.

From the simplest and most popular to the most complex and exclusive, these ideas are gradually being implemented by several companies, but the businesses that usually benefit from are those who are at the forefront of the news, taking advantage of these trends as they appear.

In recent times, for example, against the enormous amount of information that is being generated in the world, there is a countermovement that seeks to simplify and return to the essential.

More direct content, less volume – but with more relevance – better information management, voice commands and technology as a form of assistance in the organization of this information, mainly to facilitate the processes that can be automated are some of the trends that have been appearing.

We have brought together some of the news that, according to leading experts in the subject, will be a trend in 2018. But more than looking at new technologies, it is necessary to pay attention to the evolution of human behavior, which leads to all these evolutions in technology – and Digital Marketing.

More relevant content, in smaller quantity for Digital Marketing trends for 2018

Companies have been recognizing the importance of doing Content Marketing and it is likely that we will have more and more companies investing in this strategy.

So, how to differentiate?

For the content expert, Ann Handley, one of the ways to create content is smaller but more efficient.

“The main points are: 1) quality is important and 2) we do not need more content. We need more relevant content. “(Ann Handley)

In summary, content managers need to be more strategic about what kind of content to publish, looking more at the type of content that brings result volume and that is aligned with the purchase journey.

“Start by focusing on how important you might be to the people you are trying to reach. Companies have this idea that they need to do everything, appeal to everyone, but we do not have to. It’s much more effective if we focus on who cares. “(Ann Handley)

Optimizing existing content will also gain momentum. This avoids rework and helps you to always be in line with updates to search engine algorithms.

Content Automation for Digital Marketing trends for 2018

We are quite accustomed to working with automation. Our Digital Marketing and Sales software, RD Station Marketing, has been on the market since 2012 offering marketing automation solutions, among other functionalities.

But what if we could go beyond and automate not only deliveries but also production?

This is where this strong tendency comes, which is the automation of content allied to artificial intelligence.

Some tests have already been done. Le Monde, for example, used automation in the departmental elections of 2015. The French used software that produced 150,000 short texts for 4 hours (625 news stories per minute).

Another example is from the Associated Press. Prior to automation, economic journalists posted quarterly results from US companies about 15 to 20 minutes after reporting, and each text contained an average of 130 words. With automation, the texts began to be published 1 minute after the results were published and 500 words.

Can we then leave everything in the hands of robots? Is it the end of content producers?

Definitely not. First, because there is the irreplaceable human factor in content. At least until then, humans have been able to create more sophisticated texts that have provided a better reading experience for people.

We are also more creative (at least for now) than any artificial intelligence software, and we have a lot more empathy.

However, very repetitive, uncreative, data-only functions should be delegated to robots in the near future. It is impossible to compete with the machine in terms of speed, cost, and quantity of generated content.

We should start thinking of ways to bring the strength and talent of the content producer together with the speed of software so that the work is complimentary. We will soon see new functions being created, such as that of the editor of Artificial Intelligence.

Chatbot for Digital Marketing trends for 2018

Speaking of Artificial Intelligence, another of the trends for 2018 that is very related to this concept is chatbot.

But, after all, what is a chatbot?

When thinking about what a chatbot is, remember Apple ‘s Siri. She can do a lot of things, like calling someone on her agenda, setting an alarm, telling a joke, doing internet research … But you can not teach her something, right?

That is, chatbot is a computer program that does what is programmed, simulating a human conversation, and nothing more. In this way, we can automate repetitive and bureaucratic tasks, which leaves us free to solve more complex problems.

What many companies are doing is choosing some processes (such as sales, payment inquiries or frequently asked questions) to put in a flowchart, structure in the form of dialogue and register within an appropriate tool.

But where does artificial intelligence come in?

There are many ways to ask the same thing, and when you do the setup you can not put all in the system.

However, a chatbot with artificial intelligence causes even if you ask in an unscheduled way, you get correct answers.

The artificial intelligence used in bots can be different, and you need to be careful when choosing the one that is right for you. Some have their own algorithm and others use the external AI, such as Watson (IBM) or Google AI.

If you do not have a large volume of interactions, there are free tools in which you can make your chatbot and integrate it with your tools.

There are several uses for a chatbot. Once you’ve chosen a goal for yours, list the prerequisites that the bot tool should have. This way you can discard the options more easily.

To understand the possibilities see how some companies are using chatbots.

Natura chose the goal of making sales through Facebook. Avon has made a bot aimed at future and current dealers, while at Localiza Hertz you can rent the vehicle through the fan page.

In the fashion world, chatbots are also widely used. Burberry launched its chatbot on Facebook during London Fashion Week 2016, showing looks to inspire users and featuring possibilities for interaction with images and GIFs to stimulate the purchase of pieces from the latest collections of the event.

Here in the Digital Results blog, we are also using a bot. If you are reading this text you probably saw our bot in the lower right corner of the screen. Talk to him to receive free recommendations on content on Digital Marketing 🙂

Live streams for Digital Marketing trends for 2018

If you’ve followed what has been touted as a Digital Marketing trend in recent years, you know that the video was a format that often appeared on the playlists. Is it correct to say, then, that video is still new?

For YouTube expert Camilo Coutinho, a video is no longer a trend, but a consolidated strategy and those who have not done so are already late.

He compares the evolution of video format in Digital Marketing with the development of mobile phones. And believes that in here when talking about a video we are still in the era of Nokia brick. “It’s still a while before we get to the iPhone,” he says.

And what is missing to get there? Experts agree that this year the video format should take a few steps: the most cited bet is the live broadcasts, or lives. It’s that after watching a video, people want to interact with whoever is talking on the screen, and live broadcasts allow that.

Live streaming tools were already available on YouTube, and more recently they also hit Facebook and Instagram. This great availability of tools makes life easier for those who want to start.

Another advantage is that lives do not require so much infrastructure. You can start with a computer or cell phone and then put accessories such as microphones and lighting into a studio. Camilo Coutinho believes that the most important thing is not to leave for tomorrow:

“Everybody says it’s the year of the video but nobody puts their hands on the masses. If no one in your market yet does, you can differentiate yourself. This is the moment to start in two, three years to be well placed. “(Camilo Coutinho)

In 2017, Facebook and Instagram made clear that they intend to focus more and more on the audiovisual format. For the Facebook Ads expert, Fábio Prado Lima, this is a trend that comes to ads as well. Sponsored posts have also appeared in Instagram Stories and monetized videos on Facebook and should continue to gain space.

Virtual reality

One of the main uses of the video in the coming years will be in virtual reality, with the main objective of helping in the purchase decision, because the technology allows to better visualize a product or service. It is possible, for example, to simulate how a pool will stay in the backyard of your house before actually building it.

Digital trends specialist Edney Interney says real estate companies have also used this technology to have people view the interior of an apartment remotely before renting it.

In education, it is used in the training of physicians, who can study anatomy with virtual bodies, and the tendency is that soon it will be adopted by other areas of education, including distance learning.

Audio content for Digital Marketing trends for 2018

Audio content has been occupying a space in the lives of users that until then other formats still could not supply: people are looking to optimize their time, listening to content while doing other activities, such as driving.

The podcast gains space, and popular formats like blog posts and eBooks also earn audio versions, giving the audience more consumer-format options for the same content. Producing and deploying audio content is not one of the most difficult jobs.But how to promote products and services in this format?

According to sound designer Nick Ryan, the most important thing is that brands understand that they cannot be intrusive in a format as intimate as audio. According to him, people have an unconscious and physical high emotional involvement with the audio format, which makes them more easily irritated when they are interrupted by advertisements.

Another important bias that arises with audio content is: how can they be ranked? Transcription and captions can help with this content interpretation task because Google indexes text content posted to YouTube for example.

Another important performance-related piece of data: According to Discovery Digital Networks, videos with subtitles have 13% more views than a video without subtitles.

In addition to the benefits of accessibility, subtitles allow your video to be viewed by more people in situations and places where the audio would not be suitable for example on public transport, a bookstore, even in a very noisy location.

Search and voice commands for Digital Marketing trends for 2018

The rise and popularization of voice command technologies and intelligent personal assistants, such as Alexa and Google Home, are transforming user behavior. This is what the specialist in Digital Marketing and CEO of the Mestre Agency, Fábio Ricotta, points out.

He believes that voice assistants are creating a new way of interacting with the web.”They, added to the chatbots, will perhaps provide the scale in a voice,” he says. This is because, along with the robots, it is possible to do actions like buying in the market, ordering a pizza and other activities.

This brings a new challenge for brands: how to work for search engine optimization?

For the VP of Growth and Development at SEMrush, Maryna Hradovich, the user experience must remain the focus.

“Provide the best possible user experience, this will make them happy and Google will reward you.” (Maryna Hradovich)

According to her, voice searches have a particularity: they are usually questions, such as “what”, “when”, “how”, “where”.

Google’s result for voice searches is the featured snippet (the content that sits inside a box and is the first search result).

There is a great opportunity for you to take your content to the top of the search engine. For this, you can include some strategic information in your text, such as:

Detailed answer to the subject;

Numbered lists (or not);

A strong and striking image on the topic;

Include both the question and the answer on the same page.

According to a survey by JW Thompson, 74% of voice technology users around the world believe that brands must have unique voices that express brand personality for their applications rather than using standard voices. Read more SEO and Search Engine Positioning in WordPress

Progressive Web Apps for Digital Marketing trends for 2018

The apps may have no limits, but the memory of the cell phones has. This makes the public more and more selective with the applications it will download.

The number of downloads is falling every day. In the United States, this number drops 20% every year. Another study still points out that 60% of all applications have never been used.

To reverse this scenario, the Progressive Web Apps were developed. Ever heard of that term?

Progressive Web Apps (or PWAs) are the best of Google for mobile devices in the coming years. In short, it’s a hybrid of a website and an app, bringing together the best of both worlds.

The main features of a Progressive Web App are:

It works for any user, regardless of the chosen browser;

Suitable for any screen format (desktop, mobile, tablet or whatever is invented);

It is independent of the quality of the network;

It has interactions and navigation as in applications;

It is always updated;

It is more secure, protected from attacks (in HTTPS);

It can be found by search engines;

It has features to engage users again, such as push notifications;

It is installable and has a URL (no complex installation).

The Flipkart (e-commerce of India) is a case of success with the use of technology.After adopting the technology, it had a 70% increase in sales, in addition to other expressive results, such as a 3-fold increase in users’ on-site time on the site, 40% higher engagement and the user’s mobile data consumption was almost 3 times smaller. Check out the video presenting the e-commerce solution:

Despite the many advantages, PWAs still have some negative points, such as the limitation on user device control (it is still not possible to interact with features such as Bluetooth and contacts) and the technology has not yet had Apple membership.

If you would like to know more about this and understand how to apply, Google has developed a complete documentation.

We hope you have heard some of the news that you can start implementing your loan this year. Keep an eye on them, because using them can be a way to stand out from your competition.

And always remember to produce content that solves the problems of your target audience, to test and measure the results to find out what works best for your business.